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(No Model.)

J. H. WIOKES. I Refrigerator. No. 230,376. Pgtented July 20,1880.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @EETQE.

JAMES H. WIoKEs, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,376, dated July 20, 1880.

Application filed April 7, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. WICKEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the eounty and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates .to the construction of the ice-chambers of refrigerators, and particularly that class of ice-chambers having openings in the side facing the provision-chamber of the apparatus, to admitair at the top and permit such air to discharge at the bottom thereof.

It consists in constructing the ice-chamber with a grating in its upper part for supporting blocks of ice and a grating in its lower part for the reception of the fine or Waste ice that may drop through the interstices of the upper grating, so arranged that the current of aircntering and leaving the ice-chamber passes through both gratings or the ice resting thereon. With the upper and lower ice-gratings is combined an inclined grating for holding salt, which is intermediate of the ice-gratings and terminates within one side of the ice-chamber, so that, while this salt-grating is no impediment to the reception of the waste ice on the lower ice-grating, the drip water from the upper ice-grating falls onto the salt-grating, and thence, impregnated with salt, onto the lower gratingor the waste ice resting thereon, whereby the effect of such iceis materially increased. The lower ice-grating terminates within the side of the ice-chamber having the openings, and the current of air passing through the icechamber is thrown upon the lower grating by a deflecting plate arranged above the point where the air discharges from the chamber, such deflecting-plate being next below the saltgrating, so that it serves also to conduct the salt-water onto the lower gratin The side of the ice-chamber having the openings is partly inclined inward, thus contracting the ice-chamber on its lower part for the purpose of increasing the cooling-surface of the icechamber, and also for concentrating the current of air passing through the chamber at the lower gratin v This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a refrigerator-car, partly in side view and partly in section, embodying the I invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof on the line ma, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the lower part of the ice-chamber on a larger scale than in the previous figures. Fig. 4c shows the salt grating, partly in front view and partly in section.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

The letter A designates the 'n'ovision-chamher, in this example constituting the body of a refrigerator-car; 13, the ice-chamber; O l), the upper and lower ice-gratings; E, the deflecting-plate F, the salt-grating, and G the inclined portion of the ice-chamber.

The ice-chamber B is situated at one end of the provision-chamber A, and ithas openings a bin its inner side, at or near the top and bottom thereof respective.y, whereby air is admitted to the ice-chan'iberfrom theupper part of the provision-chamber, and after passing.

through the ice-clnnnber discharges therefrom into the lower part of the provisioii-chamber. The lower or discharge openings, 1), are in a door, I, whereby access is had to the lower part of the ice'chamber.

The bars of the upper grating, U, are so arranged that such grating is adapted to support blocks of ice of ordinary size, while the bars of the lower grating, I), are comparatively near togethernamcly, so that this grating will re tain the fine ice that may fall through the interstices of the upper gratin The bars of the grating F are made in the shape of troughs, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, so that each of such bars is a receptacle for salt; but other arrangements of the bars may be devised to adapt the grating for holding that substance.

The position of the salt-grating F is intermediate of the two ice-gratings O D, and it terminates within the outer side of the icechambcr l3, while it is inclined toward its free edge, so that the line ice falling on the saltgrating from the upper ice-grating rolls down and over the free edge thereof onto the lower ice-grating. The greater part of the water dripping from the upper ice-grating, (J, is received on the salt-grating F, and thence drips onto the lower ice-grating, D. Hence if the grating F is supplied with salt an increased cooling effect is had from the line ice resting on the lower gratin The upper ice-grating, 0, extends over the whole area of the ice-chum her B, and the lower ice-grating, D, extends the entire length, but terminates within the inner side of, the chamber. The deflecting-plate E projects inward from the inner side of the ice-chamber B, and is situated above the openings 1), through which the air discharges from the ice-chamber, the lower grating, D, being opposite to such opening. By this arrangement the current of air in the ice-chamber, after passing through the upper ice-grating, G, is deflected and thrown upon the lower ice-grating, D, so as to pass through this grating before it discharges from the ice-chamber.

The deflecting-plate E is next below the saltgrating F, and hence it is a medium for condueting the saltwater dripping from such grating to the lower ice-gratin g. The inclined portion Got the icc-clntmber is in the inner side thereof, and it is preferably made of sheet metal, the bulk of the apparatus being usually made of wood.

One result of the inclination G is to increase the cooling-suii-t'ace of the ice-chamber l3, and another to contract theice-chamber on its lower part, where is situated the lower ice-grati n g, D. The eflect of this contraction is to concentrate theeurrentof air passing through theice-ehaniber in the neighborhood of the lower grating, I), so that the quantity of fine ice on the lower grating need be comparatively small to insure the passage of the air through an ice mass at that point.

On the bottom of the ice-chamber B is a waste-water pan, H, having an outlet-pipe, 0, provided with a suitable trap.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the ice-chamber B, of a grating in the upper part of such chamber for supporting blocks of ice and a grating in the lower part of such chamber for the reception of the fine or waste ice that may drop through the interstices of the upper grating, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the iee-chainbcrB, of the upper and lower ice-gratin gs, 0 I), and an inclined grating for holding salt, which is intermediate ot'theice-gratings and terminates within one side of the ice-chamber, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with the ice-chamber 13, of the upper grating, O, the loweriee-grating, D, terminating within one side of the ice-chainb'er, and a deflecting-plate f()1'tlll'0\Vlll, the current of air passing through theice-ehamber upon the lower grating, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the ice-chamber I of the upper and lower ice-gratings, U l), the saltgrating l and the delleeting-plate 1*], substantially as and for the purpose described.

The combination of the upper and lower ice-gratings, O l), with an ice-chamber one side 6 5 of which is partly inclined, substantially as shown and described, for the object set forth.

In testimony whereof .I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES II. VVIGKES.

Witnesses:

J. VAN SANTVOORD, Grams. \IVAHLERS. 

